Support in Northern Ireland

There are now many support organisations which help and support trans, non-binary, questioning and intersex people and their families across Northern Ireland, both those providing specialist support and those providing general support catered for trans people. There is also a growing body of support for professionals and organisations:

For trans people

There are a number of organisations in Northern Ireland who support trans individuals with physical and mental health, emotional wellbeing and social support.

The Belfast Trans Resource Centre hosts most of the trans community organisations and groups in the Belfast area, including those for adults and young people. The BTRC also hosts a growing number of other events, like regular tabletop gaming days, a weekly Wednesday open day, monthly sexual health testing and human rights education programmes.

Cara-Friend provide a regional LGBTQ+ youth service across Northern Ireland

For families

Specialised support for the families of trans, non-binary, gender-variant and questioning people across Northern Ireland is provided by SAIL, who run parent support groups across the region as well as providing individual support for parents, carers, siblings and wider family members who may need guidance and information.

SAIL currently holds parent support meetings in Belfast, Newry and Derry~Londonderry, the Western area and other locations around NI as needed.

For professionals

TransgenderNI provide a range of free advice for organisations and professionals working with trans people, as well as professional training and formal consultancy services in line with best practice nationally and internationally. We provide specialised training to healthcare, education, community/voluntary sector, local government, criminal justice and youth service providers among others.

Healthcare services

There are now two formal healthcare services for trans people who need specialised support.

The Brackenburn Clinic is the name for the Regional Gender Identity & Psychosexual Service, and provides adults in Northern Ireland with assessment, psychological support and onward referral, where appropriate, for hormone replacement therapy and surgery.

Knowing Our Identity is a service which supports trans and gender variant children and adolescents, up to the age of 18, across Northern Ireland. They accept referrals from Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) teams across NI, and can chat directly with parents, guardians and patients directly about referrals. If you are not known to CAMHS, you should talk with your GP for a referral.

Any child or adolescent who considers themselves transgender, non-binary, gender variant and/or is questioning their gender is welcome to seek a referral to KOI.

The preferred route of referral to KOI is through a local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. Other professionals working with a young person such as in health, Social Services or education, as well as young people and their families, can also contact the service directly to discuss a possible referral.

Referral to gender identity services in Northern Ireland is currently only through a GP or mental health professional; TransgenderNI and other community organisations cannot refer patients. Click the button below for more information on the services available.